INSECURITY: Disquiet over fresh ‘peace deal’ with bandits

By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Editor 

For residents of Katsina, the location state of erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari, bid has go a uncommon luxury.

 In respective section authorities areas, beingness moves to the bushed of gunfire, abductions and forced displacement.

From Bakori to Faskari, Kankara to Danmusa, the communicative is the same. Villages are deserted, markets empty, farmlands abandoned and lives shattered by a question of banditry that has refused to ebb.

Aamid the raging insecurity,  reports emerged that Katsina State authorities had reached a caller bid woody with bandits operating successful parts of the state..

Negotiations

 The reports dispersed rapidly crossed section and societal media earlier this week, rekindling memories of past negotiations that ended successful failure.

Given the nonaccomplishment of past deals, alternatively of enthusiasm, the alleged bid pact was welcomed with mixed emotions.  

However, Governor Dikko Umar Radda has firmly denied the beingness of immoderate specified deal. Speaking successful Katsina past Wednesday, helium declared that his medication “will not negociate with criminals” and dismissed the reports arsenic “false and misleading.”

“There is nary bid woody betwixt Katsina State Government and immoderate bandit group. Our absorption remains connected assemblage policing, quality gathering, and strengthening section information structures,” the politician said.

Communities

The latest contention began earlier this week erstwhile reports emerged that immoderate communities successful Katsina, alongside representatives of notorious bandit leaders, had reached a caller knowing to halt attacks.

The reports listed names of 4 alleged bandit representatives , Ado Aleru, Isiya Kwashen Garwa, Babaro, and Iliya Zango Dan Sabau. They were said to person attended meetings with section leaders successful the Funtua zone.

According to the reports, the woody covered parts of Danmusa, Kankara, Bakori, and Faskari LGAs, wherever attacks person been predominant successful caller months. The alleged agreement, it was said, progressive section leaders promising harmless transition and assemblage practice successful speech for an extremity to hostilities.

But the authorities authorities has issued a beardown denial.

Commissioner for Internal Security, Dr. Nasir Mu’azu, said determination was nary government-sanctioned bid deal, stressing that the administration’s strategy was focused connected intelligence-driven information operations and strengthening assemblage ticker groups.

“Government cannot and volition not negociate with criminals,” helium said. “What we are doing is empowering our communities done the Community Watch Corps and collaboration with information agencies to instrumentality the combat to the bandits.”

Governor Radda, portion speaking astatine a abstracted event, echoed the aforesaid position, informing against immoderate statement that could embolden criminals.

The governor’s remarks came arsenic the authorities inaugurated 100 members of the Community Watch Corps, a information inaugural aimed astatine boosting quality and section information successful the combat against banditry.

 Denial

His denial has reignited nationalist statement connected whether dialog with equipped groups tin ever bring bid to a authorities that has go 1 of the epicentres of Nigeria’s worsening information crisis.

Checks by Sunday Vanguard showed that the standard of banditry successful Katsina contiguous is staggering.

 In virtually each senatorial zone, communities unrecorded nether siege. Rural residents talk successful whispers astir kidnappers, astir night-time raids connected motorbikes, and astir the taxes imposed by equipped gangs who present regularisation parts of the state’s hinterland.

Worst deed are section governments successful the Funtua and Katsina zones, including Bakori, Faskari, Danmusa, Kankara, Dutsin-Ma, Jibia, Kurfi, Batsari, Musawa, Sabuwa and Dandume.

Bakori, Faskari

In these areas, Sunday Vanguard learnt, attacks hap weekly, sometimes daily. Bandits tempest villages connected motorcycles, sprout indiscriminately, rustle cattle, loot food, and abduct residents for ransom. Many victims ne'er return.

In June 2024, gunmen attacked Maidabino colony successful Danmusa Local Government, LGA, sidesplitting respective and abducting dozens. In Bakori, hundreds of villagers fled aft repeated nighttime raids that near homes and farms successful ruins. Similar scenes person played retired successful Faskari, Sabuwa and Kankara, wherever full farming communities person been displaced.

Across the state, thousands of inter...